Spray gun means

ABSTRACT

A spray gun and container means threadably and sealably cooperating therewith for holding a supply of liquid therein and a reciprocable pump operably extending into the container selectively operated by a vibrator motor means and lever means controlled by a handle trigger switch means in the gun to pump the liquid in the container through a spray nozzle of the gun for dispensing the liquid from the container. The base portion of the handle of the gun extending in a slanting manner and adapted to suitably rest on a base common to the container base.

United States Patent [72] Inventor Maurice F. Roche 220 Park Ave., Apt. 5, Long Beach, Calif. 90803 [21] App]. Nov 59.256 [22] Filed July 29,1970 [45] Patented June 1, 1971 [54] SOAP DISPENSING MEANS 10 Claims, 9 Drawing Figs.

[52] U.S. Cl 239/415, 239/310, 239/375, 239/414, 239/428.5, 239/525 [51] Int. Cl F23d 13/38 [50] Field of Search 239/525, 375, 378, 310, 354, 407, 414, 428.5, 442, 415, 587,588;251/149,149.1, 149.9; 134/100, 101

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,717,806 9/1955 Dale 239/415 2,969,923 l/l96l Fremion 239/414X Primary ExaminerM. Henson Wood, Jr. Assistant Examiner-Thomas C. Culp, Jr, Attorney-Georges A. Maxwell ABSTRACT: A manually engageable and operable valve-controlled irrigating unit for bathers connected with a supply of water and a supply ofliquid soap by an elongate flexible water hose and an elongate flexible soap tube and including a jet pump means and manually operable air and soap control valving means operable to effect the constant discharge of water, the constant discharge of aerated water, the thumb-controlled selective discharge of water or aerated water, the constant discharge of air, soap and water, the thumb-controlled selective discharge of air, soap and water or soap and water and the constant discharge of soap and water.

SOAP DISPENSING MEANS This invention has to do with an improved soap and water mixing and dispensing means for use in shower baths and the like.

There is an ever-increasing recognition of a need for and increased use of soap and water mixing means in combination with manually engageable bathing brushes, spongers and the like.

The structures provided by the prior art to satisfy the noted need characteristically include an elongate flexible water hose engageable with the water supply pipe normally provided above and at one end of a bathing tub to connect with a showerhead. The inlet end of the hose connects with the noted pipe and replaces the showerhead or connects with a T-fitting engaged between the pipe and showerhead and which is provided with a cock-type valve to selectively direct water through the head or through the hose. The prior art structures next include a container of liquid soap concentrate fixed to or otherwise directly related to and carried by the T-fitting or pipe to occur above the tub, a flexible soap conducting tube extending longitudinally of the hose and having an extension at its upper or inlet end, entering the container and terminating in the lower or bottom end thereof. The prior art structures next includes a manually engageable wand with a jet pump means within connected with the lower outlet ends of the hose and tube and having a discharge end connected with a suitable dispensing head, such as a spray head or a washing sponge or bathing brush with suitable irrigating means incorporated therein to receive and dispense the water or a mixture of water and soap issuing from the wand into and through the sponge or brush.

The structures provided by the prior art and such as are referred to above are normally provided with and are characterized by a valving port in the jet pump means and over which the operator or bather's thumb or a suitable finger can be en gaged to selectively establish or break the suction or vacuum effect of the jet pump means within the wand and thereby selectively stop and start the flow of soap through the structures. I

When the valving ports of such structures are open, air is drawn into the wand and the discharged water is aerated to provide an extremely pleasant and soothing flow of water for the bather.

One of the principle shortcomings found in structures of the character referred to and which are provided by the prior art resides in the fact that once soap has been caused to flow through the soap tubes and said tubes are filled with soap, the soap continues to flow through the tubes as a result of the siphon effect established by the structure and so that when the valve port is open, the flow of soap is reduced, but is not stopped. As a result of the above, the bather cannot rinse off properly and when he has finished bathing, the structure must be disconnected or the wand must be elevated and supported at a level above the soap container to stop the flow and loss of soap.

Attempts to prevent the above-noted siphoning of soap have included the inclusion of check valves and the like, but such attempts have proven to be wanting in one or more respects. The principle shortcomings found in the provision of check valves and those other means provided by the prior art to overcome the siphoning of soap through the soap tubes, when the flow of soap is sought to be stopped, has been the tendency for the means provided to become plugged or stopped up with soap and rendered ineffective and the tendency of such means to require a relatively high and often excessive flow rate of water to effect desired operation.

The structure of the character referred to above provide for the flow of aerated water or for the flow of a mixture of soap and water only.

An object and feature of my invention is to provide a structure of the general character referred to which effectively of clear unaerated water, aerated water, aerated soap and water or unaerated soap and water can be selectively dispensed.

It is an object and feature of my invention to provide a structure of the character referred to including a small, neat, compact manually engageable hand unit or wand defining an internal jet pump with a vacuum chamber, a water hose connected with the wand to deliver water to the pump, a discharge opening related to the pump and adapted to releasably connect with desired cleaning heads, a delivery port communicating with the vacuum chamber of the pump, a liquid soap supply remote from the wand, a soap supply tube extending from the soap supply to the wand and manually operable valve means in the wand and related to the port and adapted to control the flow of air and/or soap through the port and into the pump.

It is a further object of my invention to provide a structure of the character referred to wherein the valve means includes a thumb or finger operated valve member accessible at the exterior of the wand.

Yet another object and feature is to provide a structure of the character referred to wherein the thumb operated valve member is provided with an air conducting passage that can be selectively closed and opened by engagement and disengagement of the operators thumb or finger on and with said valve member.

Still another object and feature of my invention is to provide a structure of the character referred to wherein the thumb operated valve member carried and is provided with a ported valve plate adapted to be shifted relative to the valve member to open and close the air passage independently of the operators finger when the valve member is shifted to and from predetermined positions relative to the inlet port in the wand.

It is an object and feature of my invention to provide a structure of the character referred to which is such that it can be made small and compact, a structure which lends itself to being established of molded plastics at low cost and a structure which is not subject to becoming fouled with soap and which is extremely easy to clean and service when and if circumstances require.

An important feature of the present invention is the provision of a structure of the character referred to wherein the mixing of soap and water is effected in the wand and wherein the supply of soap is effectively stopped when such flow is sought to be stopped.

The foregoing and other objects and features of the instant invention will become apparent and fully understood from the following detailed description of a typical preferred form and application of my invention throughout which description reference is made to the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is an isometric view of the invention showing it related to a typical bath tub and shower facility;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged detailed elevational view of part of the structure shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged detailed sectional view taken as indicated by line 3-3 on FIG. ll;

FIGS. 4, 5 and 6 are sectional views of a portion of the structure illustrated in FIG. 3 and showing parts of the structure in different positions;

FIG. 7 is a sectional view taken as indicated by line 7-7 on FIG. 4;

FIG. 8 is a sectional view taken as indicated by line 88 on FIG. 4; and,

FIG. 9 is a sectional view taken as indicated by line 9-9 on FIG. 2.

The soap and water mixing and dispensing means provided by this invention and which is disclosed in the accompanying drawings can be related to and connected with any suitable supply of water and is particularly adapted for installation and use with typical bathing facilities including a bath tub B with an overhead shower water supply pipe P and manually operable water supply control valve and spigot means M, as illustrated in FIG. I of the drawings.

member 50 is spaced from the rear end 34 of the ways and the rear end of the plate engages said rear end of the ways. When the member 50 is moved rearward to its fourth or rear position, where its near end stops against the rear end 341 of the ways, the plate 65 is urged forwardly in the member 50 and the passage 61 is closed, as shown in FIG. 6 of the drawings.

The construction is further provided with indexing means I to signal and to yieldingly retain the valve member 50 when it is moved from one position to another. The indexing means I that I have elected to illustrate includes a spring-loaded ball 70 carried by the member 50, at the bottom side or surface thereof and a plurality of longitudinally spaced detents 71 in the bottom 31 of the ways. There is a detent 71 into which the spring loaded ball 70 moves and seats when the member 50 is moved to each of the four noted positions and as clearly illustrated in FIGS. 3 through 6 of the drawings.

It is to be noted and understood that the spring means S and the indexing means I that I have illustrated can be varied widely in form and arrangement without departing from or effecting the spirit of this invention.

The neck 40 of the Unit U can be screw connected with any suitable cleaning head, such as a spray head H, as illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 3 of the drawings.

The nipple 29 is connected with a hose coupling part 75 at the outlet end of an elongate flexible water hose W which extends from a'suitable water supply.

In the case illustrated, the water supply is the shower water pipe P, spaced above the tub T. The hose W is connected with the pipe P by means of a male-female nipple 76 engaged on the pipe 1? and with which a coupling 77 on the inlet end of the hose is engaged.

Such a supply of water is only illustrative and typical of one form of water supply and hookup that can be employed in the normal use of my invention.

The nipple 38 is connected with the discharge or outlet end of anelongate, small diameter, flexible fluid or liquid soap conducting tube L. The outlet end of the tube L is shown slidably and frictionally engaged on and about the nipple 36.

The other or inlet end of the tube L, remote from the unit U is connected with a liquid soap supply means I, which supply means is shown as including a simple plastic jar or vessel 80 with a screw-on cap or closure @1 in which a supply of liquid soap is deposited. The cap 81 has an opening 82 through which the inlet end of the tube L extends to depend into the jar and to terminate adjacent the bottom thereof.

The cap is further provided with a suitable vent opening 83.

In the case illustrated, the cap is provided with a baillike hanger 64 which is engaged with a hook 85 on the nipple 76, as clearly illustrated in the drawings.

In practice, the means .I can vary widely in form without departing from the spirit of my invention; for example the soap could be in a collapsible plastic bag having a loop or grommet at its upper end to facilitate hanging the bag and the tube L could be suitably connected with an outlet at or in the lower or bottom end of the bag. 7

In practice, it is desirable that the hose W and tube L be secured or otherwise related with each other so as to establish a single elongate flexible unit or assembly and to avoid the presence of a pair of separate flexible members which might become tangled and cause a nuisance or inconvenience.

In the prior art, special hoses with a pair of flow passages have been employed in structures and apparatus of the character here concerned with. Such hoses are costly and require the use of special and costly hardware to effect their being connected with their related parts and means.

In the present invention, I provide a novel tube L having an elongate hose-engaging clip 90 along its major, central, longitudinal extent, to engage the hose W and to maintain the hose and tube in adjacent parallel relationship.

The tube L is an extruded plastic member originally established with a large diameter tube portion, slightly less in inside diametric extent than the outside diametric extent of the hose W, (which hose is a simple, standard and inexpensive hose) and a small diameter portion formed integrally and extending parallel with the'large diameter portion and which establishes the tube L per se.

The end portions of the large diameter portion of the extruded member are cut away and/or stripped from the small diameter portion and the remaining large diameter portion is split, longitudinally, adjacent the small diameter portion, as at 91 and so that the large diameter portion establishes the flexible clip which can be flexed open to receive and which will thereafter close above and yieldingly embrace the hose W, to maintain the hose and tube assembled, as clearly illustrated in FIGS. 1, 2 and 9 of the drawings.

The tube L is subjected to little fluid pressure and is such that the member employed to establish the tube L and its clip 90 can be thin, light, extremely flexible and inexpensive.

In operation when the unit U is connected with a flowing supply of water and a supply of soap, as illustrated in the drawings, and the valve means V and V are in their first or forward positions, as shown in FIG. 3 of the drawings, the port 37 and passage 61 are closed and only water is conducted through and from the unit U.

When the valve means is shifted rearwardly to'its second position, as shown in FIG. 4;, the port 37 is still closed and the passage 61 is open, with the result that air is free to flow therethrough, into the channel 60, and thence through the port 35 and into the vacuum chamber in the unit U defined by the sockets 23 and 412.

The jet of water issuing from the nozzle 26, through the vacuum chamber and thence out through the opening 81 establishes a minus pressure in the chamber. This minus pressure draws the air into the chamber, to mix with the water and so that the water issuing from the unit, when in the noted second position, is aerated.

When the valve means V and'V' are in the noted second position, the flow of air into the unit can be selectively shut off by the operator of the unit by placing his thumb or the member 50 over the upper open end of the passage 61 and thereby selectively change the discharge from the unit to and from, clear and aerated water.

When the valve means is shifted from its second position to its third position, as shown in F IG. 5 of the drawings, the ports 35, 37 and passage 61 are all open and the minus pressure in the chamber of the unit draws liquid soap and air into the vacuum chamber to mix with the water and so that the discharge from the unit U is aerated and mixed soap and water. This discharge is primarily a discharge of suds.

When the structure is in the above noted third position, the operator can place his thumb over the passage 61 to shut off .the supply of air and thereby change the discharge from suds to a straight mixture of soap and water.

Finally, when the valve means are shifted to their forward and rearmost position, as shown in FIG. 6 of the drawings, the ports 35 and 37 are open and in communication and the passage 61 is closed and a constant and steady discharge of soap and water is obtained.

It is to be noted that while the valve means are shiftable to four distinct positions to effect four distinct forms or kinds of discharge, the noted placement of ones finger over the passage 61 when the structure is in its second and third positions provides what is in fact two additional or intermediate positions or operating conditions, with the result that the structure provides six (6) different and distinct operating conditions and/or positions, to provide four distinct forms of discharge, all at the fingertip control of the operator.

I-laving described only a typical preferred form and application of my invention, I do not wish to be limited to the specific details herein set forth, but wish to reserve to myself any modifications and/or variations that may appear to those who are skilled in the art to which this invention relates and which fall within the scope of the following claims.

Having described my invention, I claim:

I. An irrigating apparatus for bathers including a water supply, a liquid soap supply, a manually engageable unit, an

munication with the delivery and air ports and the air port is out of register with the air passage, and index means between H the unit and the member to selectively and yieldingly stop and hold the member in each of said first, second, third and fourth positions, said indexing means including a spring-loaded ball carried by the member and four spaced detents in the unitto cooperatively receive said ball.

8. A structure as set forth in claim 1 wherein said tube being smaller in diameter than the hose and having a longitudinally split tubular section along a portion of its longitudinal extent yieldingly engaged about and embracing an adjacent portion of the hose whereby the tube and hose are releasably retained in adjacent parallel relationship with each other throughout said portion of said tube.

9. A structure as set forth in claim 1 which further includes a valve plate shiftably carried by the valve member to intersect the air passage and having an air port normally in register with the air passage means to selectively shift the plate to move the air port therein out of register with the air passage when the member is in a position where the channel is out of bridging communication with the delivery and soap ports and to shift the plate to move the air port therein out of register with the air passage when the member is in a position where the channel is in bridging communication with the delivery and soap ports, said means to selectively shift the plate including opposite end portions on the plate projecting from the opposite ends of the valve member in line with the direction of travel of said member and stop means on said unit to engage and stop the plate upon predetermined movement of the member and to effect relative shifting of the member and plate, and spring means between the member and the plate to normally yieldingly hold the plate in a position where the air port therein is in register with the air passage, said tube being smaller in diameter than the hose and having a longitudinally split tubular section along a portion of its longitudinal extent yieldingly engaged about and embracing an adjacent portion of the hose whereby the tube and hose are releasably retained in adjacent parallel relationship with each other throughout said portion of said tube.

10. A structure as set forth in claim l which further includes a valve plate shiftably carried by the valve member to intersect the air passage and having an air port normally in register with the air passage means to selectively shift the plate to move the air port therein out of register with the air passage when the member is in a position where the channel is out of bridging communication with the delivery and soap ports and to shift the plate to move the air port therein out of register with the air passage when the member is in a position where the channel is in bridging communication with the delivery and soap ports, said means to selectively shift the plate including opposite end portions on the plate projecting from the opposite ends of the valve member in line with the direction of travel of said member and stop means on said unit to engage and stop the plate upon predetermined movement of the member and to effect relative shifting of the member and plate, said valve member shiftable from a first position where the channel is out of bridging communication with the delivery and soap ports and the air port is out of register with the air passage to a second position where the channel is out of bridging communication with the delivery and soap ports and the air port is in register with the air passage, to a third position where the channel is in bridging communication with the delivery and soap ports and the air port is in register with the air passage and to a fourth position where the channel is in bridging communication with the delivery and air ports and the air port is out of register with the air passage, and index means between the unit and the member to selectively and yieldingly stop and hold the member in each of said first, second, third and fourth positions, said indexing means including a spring-loaded ball carried by the member and four spaced detents in the unit to cooperatively receive said ball, said tube being smaller in diameter than the hose and having a longitudinally split tubular section along a portion of its lon itudinal extent yieldingly engaged about and embracing an a acent portion 0 the hose United States Patent [72] Inventor Maurice F. Roche 220 Park Ave., Apt. 5, Long Beach, Calif. 90803 [21] Appl. No. 59.256 [22] Filed July 29, I970 [45] Patented June 1, 1971 [54] SOAP DISPENSING MEANS 10 Claims, 9 Drawing Figs.

[52] US. Cl 239/415, 239/310, 239/375, 239/414, 239/428.5, 239/525 [51] Int. Cl F23d 13/38 [50] Field of Search 239/525, 375, 378, 310, 354, 407, 414, 428.5, 442, 415, 587,588;25l/l49,149.1, 149.9; 134/100, 101

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,717,806 9/1955 Dale 239/415 2,969,923 l/l961 Fremion 239/414X 2,975,804 3/1961 Dunn et al. 239/315X 3,039,492 6/1962 Brucker 239/315X 3,208,145 9/1965 Turner 239/415X FOREIGN PATENTS 428,226 5/1935 Great Britain 239/415 Primary Examiner- M. Henson Wood, Jr. Assistant Examiner-Thomas C. Culp, Jr. Attorney-Georges A. Maxwell ABSTRACT: A manually engageable and operable valve-controlled irrigating unit for bathers connected with a supply of water and a supply ofliquid soap by an elongate flexible water hose and an elongate flexible soap tube and including a jet pump means and manually operable air and soap control valving means operable to effect the constant discharge of water, the constant discharge of aerated water, the thumb-controlled selective discharge of water or aerated water, the constant discharge of air, soap and water, the thumb-controlled selective discharge of air, soap and water or soap and water and the constant discharge of soap and water. 

1. A spray gun comprising a handle portion and rear housing portion, a motor contained in the rear housing portion, a front housing portion comprising a base portion having a downwardly extending threaded coupling portion, a spray nozzle means operably carried by said front housing portion, a receptacle for containing spray fluid therein detachably connected with said coupling portion, a pump assembly angularly carried by said base portion, a feed tube carried by said base portion and operably communicating from said pump to said nozzle means, said motor means carried by said rear housing portion including means in said handle portion for controlling and actuating said motor and pump assembly including fluid circuit means in said front housing portion operably interconnected to said nozzle means, and releasably hinged means operably interconnecting said rear housing portion to said front housing portion for cleaning, portability and quick interchange of fluid receptacle during use thereof.
 2. A spray gun according to claim 1 in which the handle portion also contains a switch, electrical connections for the motor and a trigger for opening and closing the switch.
 3. A spray gun according to claim 1 in which the front portion is provided with an attachment for a container for liquid and the entire liquid circuit.
 4. A spray gun according to claim 3, in which the motor is an electric motor provided with a link for driving the pump.
 5. A spray gun according to claim 4, in which the motor is an electromagnet having an armature movable inwardly on the passage of alternating current through the electromagnet.
 6. A spray gun according to claim 5, in which the front portion is securable to the handle portion by means of a single screw.
 7. A spray gun according to claim 6 which includes a fitted container for liquid.
 8. A spray gun according to claim 7, in which the pump is inclined to the line of intended spray.
 9. A spray gun according to claim 7 in which the container bottom is shaped to cooperate with the pump cylinder so as to ensure maximum utilization of liquid to be sprayed.
 10. A spray gun according to claim 9, in which the reciprocable pump has a piston head with an insulated cap. 